Oktopus: Performing Arts Trail
The Performing Arts Trail series, presented by Trail & District Arts Council, brings you Oktopus.
Based in Quebec, Oktopus is a major presence on the Canadian world music scene, with over 250 performances to its credit at home and abroad. The octet is primarily devoted to klezmer—the musical heritage of Eastern European Jews—distinguished by a novel approach that incorporates various components of the classical and Quebecois repertoire, with some jazz and Balkan accents.
The group’s eight virtuoso musicians offer festive, high-energy performances, at once melancholic and profound, sprinkled with humour and spiced with narrative, in which original compositions and finely crafted arrangements combine with improvisation. Its members’ complicity, shared passion, and hard work are what makes each of their performances so memorable, Oktopus is simply… ‘spectentacular’!
Oktopus’ distinctive music is undeniably rooted in the klezmer tradition, reflecting the rich history of a thousand-year-old community, its persecutions and celebrations, tears and laughter, or both at the same time. The members of Oktopus are inspired by the music they hear throughout their own travels. Thus, the melodies of several classical composers, such as Bartók, Brahms, Prokofiev or Enescu are rearranged by the octet, particularly their works derived from folk themes. Quebec songwriters are also sources of inspiration, with Leclerc and Vigneault being added to the group’s repertoire.
To hear and see more visit their website at https://www.oktopus.ca.
MUSICIANS
● Gabriel Paquin-Buki – clarinet, composition and arrangements
● Veronica Ungureanu– violin
● Noémie Caron-Marcotte – flute
● Matthieu Bourget – bass trombone
● Madeleine Doyon – tenor trombone
● Guillaume Martineau – piano
● Maxime Philippe – drums and percussions
● Francis Pigeon – trumpet
AWARDS
● 2021 – Nominee Canadian Folk Music Award
● 2021 – Nominee Opus Award
● 2021 – « Special prize for the most creative fusion of ancient and contemporary music traditions » awarded by the Slovak Radio Bratislava
● 2018 – Nominee Canadian Folk Music Award
● 2018 – Nominee Juno Award
● Grand gagnant de la 8me édition du concours les syli d’or de la musique du monde
2 x 40 min sets + intermission
6 Show Series Pass: $148 **Don’t miss out on this great offer. **
Individual Adult Ticket: $30.00, except Shane Koyczan which is $35, or the bargain price of $10 for anyone under 30 years old
All tickets are assigned seating.
All tickets available online at thebailey.ca, by phone at 250-368-9669, and in person at the Bailey Box Office at 1501 Cedar Ave., Trail.
Other shows in the Performing Arts Trail series include:
Ridge: Tues Nov 8, 2022 – A vivid and intimate examination of our connection to the past, through stories from Vimy Ridge, that passionately argues against the exploitation of young lives. Featuring musical interpretations of WWI soldier songs performed by Brendan McLeod and his band The Fugitives.
Ballet Kelowna: taqəš and Other Works – Tues March 7, 2023 – Featuring up to 8 dancers this stunning line-up has John Alleyne’s methodically harmonized Split House Geometric, Guillaume Côté’s riveting Bolero, and Cameron Fraser-Monroe’s powerful and compelling new work taqəš set to songs by Polaris Prize-winning Jeremy Dutcher and following the traditional story “Raven Returns the Water”.
Shane Koyczan: Tues March 28, 2023 – There seems no shortage of adjectives to describe a show by spoken word poet, writer and performer Shane Koyczan. Moving, hilarious, challenging, provocative, or inspirational. Take your pick.
Sansei The Storyteller and Yamabiko Taiko Drummers (double bill): Tuesday April 18 2023 – Sansei: The Storyteller uses dance, theatre, and humour to tell the story of one of Canada’s darkest decisions and how the rampant racism of past generations affected the Japanese community today. The Yamabiko Taiko drummers will close out the evening with their high energy performance on Japanese Taiko-style drums.
Huu-Bac Quintet: Tuesday May 2, 2023 – Huu Bac Quach and his quintet, based in Montreal, skillfully combine his Vietnamese and Chinese heritages with North-American jazz music. His beautiful compositions feature the dan bau (single chord Vietnamese instrument), the erhu (Chinese fiddle), the quena (Peruvian flute) and the guitar.
The Performing Arts Trail series is sponsored by Teck Trail Operations and Century 21 Kootenay Homes (2018) Ltd. With funding support from the BC Arts Council, the Government of British Columbia, the BC Touring Council and Tourism South Kootenay. This series is funded [in part] by the Government of Canada. / Ce projet est financé [en partie] par le gouvernement du Canada.